Trained, but not skilled?

The development of the Mozambican economy, coupled in part with major emerging projects, has led to a growing request for skilled labor that can meet the demands of the labor market.

In the national context, Professional Technical Education and Higher Education are the main sources for the acquisition of skills for work.

The oil and gas sector is considered one of the most promising in the world market and generates large investments and thousands of jobs. In Mozambique, this sector has been developing and is expected to generate millions of dollars in the coming years.

The participation of the national industry in the implementation of these oil and gas projects is expected to generate employment for many Mozambicans. However, we are all aware that it is a complex and dynamic market that will require workers to have specialized knowledge and lifelong training.

Specific technical skills as well as higher level qualifications, especially in the fields of Oil and Gas engineering, are the basis of the labor market in this sector. In Mozambique, however, the annual number of graduates in science and engineering remains very low. Hiring foreign labor has been the solution to this gap, but this is a short-term solution.

Analyzing the courses available in both Higher Education and Technical Education, we can conclude that, in theory, the Mozambican Education System is teaching the areas needed for Oil and Gas. Even if we don’t have enough graduates in these areas, we can say that most of engineering and technical areas are covered by the existing courses.  If so, them why do graduates enter de market with a deep lack of knowledge? Why do they spend twice as much of the expected years learning – the average is ten years! -, and end up lacking the necessary skills for the job?

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